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Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The Delta Smelt

U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger ruled that an endangered species of minnows, the Delta Smelt, be saved in California and has shut down water deliveries for six months (from December until June) from the northern to the southern two-thirds of the state. Apparently, the smelt are getting caught in the water pumps that deliver the water. The state of CA has been in drought and water supplies are low as it it, but if these pumps are stopped, then they won't be able to move water to 25 million Californians and 3 million acres of farmland.

San Joaquin Valley West Side will be hit hard and many farms that supply fruits and vegetables to the entire U.S. will not have the crops to do so. I imagine that we'll have to import items that ordinarily we could grow here in the states thus they'll be more expensive. Unemployment will be on the rise in Southern CA and many residents of this area already live below poverty level.

Some say that the Delta Smelt does not really benefit mankind. What are your thoughts about Judge Wanger's ruling??